Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread

[KevShmev]

Major tornado damage in the Nashville area early this morning. Hopefully Neal and his family are all ok.

Good golloy,  that's scary! 

Looks like most of the damage was east of Nashville, right around Nashville and a little west of it.  I am pretty sure Neal lives pretty close to the church in Cross Plains where he holds Morsefest every year, and that is about 25-30 miles north of the heart of Nashville.

Awful to see that some lost their lives due to this tornado.  Mother Nature is such a heartless wench sometimes. 

[axeman90210]

Got my first listen through of Live in Brno this morning, sounds great. Will likely watch the Blu Ray at some point this weekend.

[ShadowWalker]

Got my first listen through of Live in Brno this morning, sounds great. Will likely watch the Blu Ray at some point this weekend.

Got to wait more than a week for Amazon to ship my copy... 

[ytserush]

Still need to pick this up. Not ordering from Amazon though.

[KevShmev]

Neal tweeted that he hasn't been feeling well, but got tested for the coronavirus and it came back negative.

There are obviously a lot more important things than music right now, but I can't help but wonder if the current state of the world will result in there being no Morsefest at all this year.  Probably impossible to plan it given the uncertainty which lies ahead.

[ytserush]

Neal tweeted that he hasn't been feeling well, but got tested for the coronavirus and it came back negative.

There are obviously a lot more important things than music right now, but I can't help but wonder if the current state of the world will result in there being no Morsefest at all this year.  Probably impossible to plan it given the uncertainty which lies ahead.

I'm sure he'd still create some music for the Inner Circle crowd if he's got cabin fever.

[The Letter M]

So Neal posted a video on Facebook earlier today saying he was recording scratch drums for an album he has written while in isolation, and from the sounds of the previewed drum parts he shared, it sounds proggy and is probably the next NMB album. I'm guessing he has composed demos for everyone to listen to.

If the quarantine goes on for weeks or months, I bet the boys in the NMB will have this album recorded in their own home studios before the end of it all, and we may see a new NMB album early next year!

-Marc.

[Mladen]

He might as well knock out another Life & times while he's in the studio. 

[thunderdog10]

He did call it an Epic album he is working on.

[KevShmev]

According to Neal from his newest Inner Circle letter, he is hoping that they can finish the album remotely and have it released by the fall.  He said he sent it to Mike and Randy to see what they can do and what their thoughts are, and didn't mention Eric and Bill, which tells me that this is likely to be a solo Neal album, not the next NMB album. 

He also said the new Transatlantic is still a work in progress, so I'd be surprised if we get that before the end of the year (my guess).

Lastly, he said he was under the weather for several weeks and thought he had the coronavirus because he had most of the symptoms, but the test ultimately came back negative.

[The Letter M]

He also said the new Transatlantic is still a work in progress, so I'd be surprised if we get that before the end of the year (my guess).

In his February IC newsletter, Neal stated that TA5 is scheduled for a September release, which still seems realistic. That gives them til about July to have it all wrapped up, which is still another 3-4 months of work, which, given the quarantine, now gives each of them more time to finish the album and get things completed, like overdubs, lyrics and final vocal tracks, and other odds and ends that Neal is known for throwing in at the last month.

As for the other album, it would be neat, if a bit weird, that Neal would release a solo prog album that WASN'T a Neal Morse Band album, going back to the pre-TGA days of his music, but it could be a nice change of pace after 2 double albums with the same group. He could do a Question Mark style release with a bunch of guest artists on it as well, doing different songs and solos. Whatever it is, I'm excited to see him being creative and working!

-Marc.

[faizoff]

I opened my Live in BRNO CD/Blu-ray set package that I got from Radiant (was out of town so couldn't get to it) does it come open without any shrink wrap? and no booklet? In any case get wait to dive in.

[KevShmev]

He also said the new Transatlantic is still a work in progress, so I'd be surprised if we get that before the end of the year (my guess).

In his February IC newsletter, Neal stated that TA5 is scheduled for a September release, which still seems realistic. That gives them til about July to have it all wrapped up, which is still another 3-4 months of work, which, given the quarantine, now gives each of them more time to finish the album and get things completed, like overdubs, lyrics and final vocal tracks, and other odds and ends that Neal is known for throwing in at the last month.

The bolded, he said today.  He also said today that he is not sure when it will be completed.

[The Letter M]

He also said the new Transatlantic is still a work in progress, so I'd be surprised if we get that before the end of the year (my guess).

In his February IC newsletter, Neal stated that TA5 is scheduled for a September release, which still seems realistic. That gives them til about July to have it all wrapped up, which is still another 3-4 months of work, which, given the quarantine, now gives each of them more time to finish the album and get things completed, like overdubs, lyrics and final vocal tracks, and other odds and ends that Neal is known for throwing in at the last month.

The bolded, he said today.  He also said today that he is not sure when it will be completed.

Just seems odd to me that he would've had a release month in mind back in February, but now isn't too sure. I wonder if something is going on?

-Marc.

[faizoff]

I opened my Live in BRNO CD/Blu-ray set package that I got from Radiant (was out of town so couldn't get to it) does it come open without any shrink wrap? and no booklet? In any case get wait to dive in.

Looks like mine is signed by Neal Morse himself so that's why the shrink wrap is gone. Wished there was at least a booklet.

[KevShmev]

Just seems odd to me that he would've had a release month in mind back in February, but now isn't too sure. I wonder if something is going on?

COVID-19.

[ytserush]

He might as well knock out another Life & times while he's in the studio. 

That would be nice although part of the reason I'd want him to do it would be for a solo tour which quite obviously won't happen at this point.

[ytserush]

He also said the new Transatlantic is still a work in progress, so I'd be surprised if we get that before the end of the year (my guess).

In his February IC newsletter, Neal stated that TA5 is scheduled for a September release, which still seems realistic. That gives them til about July to have it all wrapped up, which is still another 3-4 months of work, which, given the quarantine, now gives each of them more time to finish the album and get things completed, like overdubs, lyrics and final vocal tracks, and other odds and ends that Neal is known for throwing in at the last month.

The bolded, he said today.  He also said today that he is not sure when it will be completed.

Plenty of time to iron it out now I would think.

[devieira73]

From Neal’s Facebook:

Finished tracking keyboards on my new concept album! Just need to do some scratch vocals and I can send it off to Mike and Randy for their magic. This is going to be an amazing one. I think it’s easily as good as Sola or Question Mark! Look at all those tracks!!!!

Interesting... a Neal Morse album the way it was before The Neal Morse Band?

[The Letter M]

From Neal’s Facebook:

Finished tracking keyboards on my new concept album! Just need to do some scratch vocals and I can send it off to Mike and Randy for their magic. This is going to be an amazing one. I think it’s easily as good as Sola or Question Mark! Look at all those tracks!!!!

Interesting... a Neal Morse album the way it was before The Neal Morse Band?

I just saw this on Facebook, and yeah, it looks like it'll be a Pre-NMB style album, something we haven't gotten since Momentum.  I wonder if he wanted to avoid doing a THIRD NMB Concept album in a row and decided to scale it back without having Eric or Bill involved, and just focus on the writing all on himself. IIRC, I think Eric has been busy with some recording anyway.

Either way, this is exciting news, but I wonder if this is the same album that Mike did some drumming for after he completed the TA5 drum tracks last fall? Neal's update makes it sound like Mike and Randy haven't done any work on it yet, so who knows HOW many things Mike and Neal have going on right now! Between a new Solo Neal album, TA5, and the upcoming Flying Colors live album, I can't imagine what this other project was that Mike drummed on for Neal last fall...

-Marc.

[MinistroRaven]

From Neal’s Facebook:

Finished tracking keyboards on my new concept album! Just need to do some scratch vocals and I can send it off to Mike and Randy for their magic. This is going to be an amazing one. I think it’s easily as good as Sola or Question Mark! Look at all those tracks!!!!

Interesting... a Neal Morse album the way it was before The Neal Morse Band?

Isn't it weird that eric and bill arent involved?

[KevShmev]

I don't think it is at all.  It sounds like this album wasn't planned, but once Neal got over his illness and was stuck at home, the creative spark hit him and he ran with it and wrote an album and decided to release it as a solo album right away rather than waiting for a time when all five can get together to make it more of a band effort.

Also, it is worth noting that Neal did release a prog solo album last year (The Exorcist), so this won't be his first prog solo release since Momentum.

[ProfessorPeart]

I swear that I saw Mike post some time ago that Neal was going to be doing another Prog solo album.

Can't remember if it was in response to something about it or just a general comment, but Mike explained the differences.

Neal Morse - Neal writes everything and Mike and Randy play bass and drums.

Neal Morse Band - everyone brings ideas to the table and arranges together, much like TA.

I think he mentioned that Neal had not abandoned his solo Prog work, but was taking a break from it while the NMB was hitting its stride.

[KevShmev]

I got the impression that this new album was a spur of the moment creative burst record, but I could be wrong.

I am glad to see Neal taking advantage of this NMB downtime by making a solo prog record.  I liked Life & Times, but I would always rather get more prog from Neal than full-on singer/songwriter albums.

[MinistroRaven]

The Testimony demos are available:

https://nealmorse.com/product/testimony-demos/?inf_contact_key=3bbdd727de8384e9dc0121dd53ceace7

These demos of the Testimony album, Neal's first solo album after leaving Spock’s Beard, have never been released before. This was a time where Neal wasn’t sure what his next step was going to be. This flood of musical inspiration arrived just in time, which is what you will hear in these demos.

The music will have been familiar to you with the various index points that were eventually added to the CDs — but Testimony began life as five long tracks, which is how it is presented here. What you hear is exactly what would have been sent to Mike Portnoy and the other musicians involved in the album as you hear it!

Audio files will include cover and CD artwork!

(Quick note for audiophiles: These tracks are offered only as MP3 files because that is all that is left from the original demos! Unfortunately, we aren’t able to offer WAV or FLAC versions that people sometimes request.)

[KevShmev]

So yeah, my brother told me that Bill said on FB the other day in a thread where people were trying to figure out the difference between solo Neal prog albums and NMB albums that the NMB will start work on their next album this spring. Given that it is spring already, here's hoping that he meant the current season! 

[The Letter M]

So yeah, my brother told me that Bill said on FB the other day in a thread where people were trying to figure out the difference between solo Neal prog albums and NMB albums that the NMB will start work on their next album this spring. Given that it is spring already, here's hoping that he meant the current season! 

I found said FB thread, and here's what Bill said:

NMB is scheduled to start our new band album this spring (pending the virus situation)

So it seems, from his words, that sometime in the next 3 months, the band were scheduled to get together and write, presumably sometime after Mike was supposed to be done with his SOA touring duties, and after Eric is done with whatever album he is making. I think Neal just got hit with some inspiration during his time being away, sick, and now stuck at home, and given that Mike and Randy aren't going anywhere either, he decided to enlist their help like in the One/?/Sola days.

What a busy time for Neal, then! New Flying Colors live album, hopefully by this summer, Transatlantic's fifth album by the fall, this new Neal Morse solo album by winter, then a new NMB album probably early next year! If there aren't going to be any tours this year, at least we will be spoiled for new releases! What a time to be a Neal Morse fan!

-Marc.

[The Letter M]

Neal just posted this:

Thrilled to have finished a rough mix of my new Prog epic album and delivered to Mike and Randy today. Mikes planning on recording drums at his house Thursday and Friday. Over an hour long! One piece! I'm excited..

Sounds like we may have a Question Mark-esque release! I doubt it'll be tracked on the CD as one hour-length track, so I'm sure it'll have several index points, to separate the piece as multiple tracks.

He's excited...and so am I! I wonder if this will get released before Transatlantic's fifth album, considering how fast he's gotten through it?

-Marc.

[KevShmev]

In all fairness, it's always a great time to be a Neal Morse fan! 

If COVID-19 interferes too much, I could see NMB all working on it remotely or doing a lot of face timing or virtual writing or whatever the heck you call that stuff.  Not the same as them all getting in the same workspace and writing and recording, but with five guys like that, I am sure they could pull it off and still knock it out of the park.  After all, we need them to complete the trilogy they started with Similitude and continued with The Great Adventure, right?

[The Letter M]

In all fairness, it's always a great time to be a Neal Morse fan! 

Ya know what, you're not wrong! Neal has been fairly consistent and prolific over the years, and he rarely disappoints me!

If COVID-19 interferes too much, I could see NMB all working on it remotely or doing a lot of face timing or virtual writing or whatever the heck you call that stuff.  Not the same as them all getting in the same workspace and writing and recording, but with five guys like that, I am sure they could pull it off and still knock it out of the park.  After all, we need them to complete the trilogy they started with Similitude and continued with The Great Adventure, right?

From Bill's statement, it sounded like they were planning on meeting in person, and I don't blame them for wanting to still do that, as I am sure they all prefer working in person, but it's not impossible for them to Skype-write. I think they did some of that when they were re-working TGA a couple of years ago. I wonder how much material the other band members have ready for their next session? I hope this quarantine has kept their creative juices flowing!

As for a trilogy of concept albums? I wouldn't be opposed to it, and it would certainly further differentiate NMB from Neal's solo stuff. Maybe the NMB could continue this story line and make their work all a part of that Similitude-Universe, a sort of Ayreon-esque world where certain musical themes and characters can return.

Whatever the NMB have coming next, I hope it'll be fresh and exciting and different enough from whatever hour-long album Neal is working on.

-Marc.

[KevShmev]

I know a couple of the guys were vocal about wanting to do a regular prog album next time and not another double concept album (Randy and maybe Bill?), but if that is what Neal is feeling and has a good enough idea, I am sure he could sell them on it.  Here's hoping! 

[Fritzinger]

Apparently, it's going to be one big song:

Thrilled to have finished a rough mix of my new Prog epic album and delivered to Mike and Randy today. Mikes planning on recording drums at his house Thursday and Friday. Over an hour long! One piece! I’m excited..

This has me excited 

[DTA]

I would give anything for a non-concept single disc album from Neal that has nothing to do with Similitude/Great Adventure. I'm glad he's being productive though, I can't believe how efficient he is at creating music consistently that's actually listenable and high-quality.

[The Letter M]

Apparently, it's going to be one big song:

Thrilled to have finished a rough mix of my new Prog epic album and delivered to Mike and Randy today. Mikes planning on recording drums at his house Thursday and Friday. Over an hour long! One piece! I’m excited..

This has me excited 

Guessing you missed my post with the exact same quote above? 

Neal just posted this:

Thrilled to have finished a rough mix of my new Prog epic album and delivered to Mike and Randy today. Mikes planning on recording drums at his house Thursday and Friday. Over an hour long! One piece! I'm excited..

Sounds like we may have a Question Mark-esque release! I doubt it'll be tracked on the CD as one hour-length track, so I'm sure it'll have several index points, to separate the piece as multiple tracks.

He's excited...and so am I! I wonder if this will get released before Transatlantic's fifth album, considering how fast he's gotten through it?

-Marc.

But either way, I am with you - I'm pretty excited. When I got into Neal's solo work, it was around when Question Mark came out, so to get another album in a similar vein, I cannot wait for it!

-Marc.

[Fritzinger]

Apparently, it's going to be one big song:

Thrilled to have finished a rough mix of my new Prog epic album and delivered to Mike and Randy today. Mikes planning on recording drums at his house Thursday and Friday. Over an hour long! One piece! I’m excited..

This has me excited 

Guessing you missed my post with the exact same quote above? 

Neal just posted this:

Thrilled to have finished a rough mix of my new Prog epic album and delivered to Mike and Randy today. Mikes planning on recording drums at his house Thursday and Friday. Over an hour long! One piece! I'm excited..

Sounds like we may have a Question Mark-esque release! I doubt it'll be tracked on the CD as one hour-length track, so I'm sure it'll have several index points, to separate the piece as multiple tracks.

He's excited...and so am I! I wonder if this will get released before Transatlantic's fifth album, considering how fast he's gotten through it?

-Marc.

But either way, I am with you - I'm pretty excited. When I got into Neal's solo work, it was around when Question Mark came out, so to get another album in a similar vein, I cannot wait for it!

-Marc.

You guessed correctly, sawry

I agree with you! I love ? and have always thought he should do another album like that.